Revenge Christmas Is Coming, With or Without Omicron

Prepare for omichristmas. Even amid concern about the new variant and increased restrictions, many consumers will still pull out all the stops to make up for 2020.

Not everyone is on board, of course. In the U.K., even before Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to trigger his so-called “Plan B,” there were signs of caution in travel, drinking and dining. Trade body UKHospitality said anecdotal evidence pointed to lost bookings in direct response to the variant. This has been echoed by Azzurri Group, which owns restaurants Zizzi, ASK Italian and Coco di Mama. It has seen cancellations increase since the end of November, particularly among big groups and in city centers, which had been recovering nicely.